The Church Feeds Her Children

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Recall that Christ’s Church is called “Jerusalem above”—“the mother of us all” (Gal. 4:26).Hebrews 12:22-23 makes this clear: “But you are come unto … the heavenly Jerusalem … the general assembly and church … which are written in heaven” (Heb. 12:22-23). It does not say that the Church is in heaven, but rather that those of the Church are “written in heaven.” This is because the dead in Christ are now awaiting the first resurrection.

As Mother, the Church feeds and cares for God’s people—her children. Peter instructed the ministry to “feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight … willingly” (1 Pet. 5:2). Recall that Paul made the Church’s role as Mother even clearer: “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto … the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:12-13).

Two additional verses in context here demonstrate that God’s “children,” like any other children, are supposed to “grow up.” Notice that the Church is also responsible for protecting God’s flock from false doctrine: “That we henceforth BE NO MORE CHILDREN, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may GROW UP into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15).

It is the ministry’s duty to teach the Church the truth and to warn of the dangers of being deceived by false doctrine.

So, the begotten child of God grows in the womb of its Mother—the Church—like any other child grows during the nine-month gestation period. While in the womb of the Church, all begotten sons are fed the necessary spiritual nutrients in order to grow sufficiently to be born into the kingdom as incorruptible Spirit Beings.

Christians must develop and mature spiritually while in the womb. Human fetuses begin at microscopic size and grow to the time of birth. The newly begotten Christian grows in the same way. He starts out 99.9 percent spiritually immature and slowly progresses to spiritual maturity—and BIRTH!

Christ the Firstborn—Among Many

When speaking of Christ, Romans 1:3-4 states, “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Most have heard that Jesus was the Son of God, but He was only “declared to be” the Son of God, in the fullest sense, “by the resurrection from the dead.” Of course, He was already the begotten Son of God prior to His birth into the kingdom at the time of His Resurrection. This scripture shows that Christ was physically born of Mary, descending from David “according to the flesh,” and spiritually born a Son of God “according to the Spirit … by the resurrection of the dead.”

By returning to Romans 8:1-39, we can better understand why. Remember this about Christ’s birth: “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN” (Rom. 8:29).

Christ is merely the first “born again” Son of God. “Many brethren” (all those with God’s Spirit for 6,000 years) will join Him at His Return. This absolutely astonishing understanding is known to only the few called today (John 6:44, 65).

No Hope?

The world knows none of what you have read. It is bogged down in the suffocating morass of human problems and events. None can truly say that they know what tomorrow holds—while many others just hope that there will be a tomorrow, for themselves and for the world. The misery, confusion, war, famine, disease, ignorance, poverty, and lack of harmony—all on a global scale—leave many feeling hopeless. Every human being needs hope—needs to be infused with a reason for being, or for even continuing, because of the oppressive circumstances that inevitably surround and define their lives.

All nations and peoples long for peace, happiness, and prosperity. Leaders promise these things but never really deliver. Armies fight for them, but always fail in this ultimate objective. Millions pray for them, but their prayers go unanswered. World peace, happiness, and prosperity for all remain more elusive than ever.

But the Bible says that these things will come—and soon. The next and final chapter explains how!

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